I DL kits from different sites and am trying to figure out the best way to store them on my computer so that I can give proper credit when I post layouts in the gallery. Any tips appreciated!

landorasue

09-03-2008, 09:26 AM

Hi, Christi! If I purchase kits on CDs, I just store the CD in a jewel case and have them categorized by kit company. Now, all my downloaded kits are stored in three places: computer hard drive, external hard drive, and then copied to a CD/DVD. If my computer hard drive gets too full, then I actually move the files offline to CDs/DVDs.

Now, as for giving credit. You need to have some type of file/tagging structure on your computer. I have a folder named for each downloaded kit I purchase. Then I tag each element in the kit: author, kit company, category (flower, paper, journal tag, food, border, button, etc., etc.). I do all of this as soon as I download the kit so it's ready to use and give credit.

There are a number of software programs out there specifically for this purpose. If you have Photoshop CS3, Bridge will help you organize everything. I don't have CS3, so I use ACDSee 10 Photo Manager (http://www.acdsee.com/). Go to this link and read about it. You can do amazing things to organize your kits. It takes a while to get all your existing kits tagged and organized, but once it's done, you only have to maintain any new kits you download.

In addition, here's a link that teaches you how to use ACDSee 10 specifically for digital scrapbooking: DigiScrapInfo (http://www.digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/)

Hope this helps you.

Amberpony

09-07-2008, 11:11 AM

I have an EHD in it I have a special Partition (Volume) just for my Digi Kits! then I have folders for each store or Blog. Inside the store Folders I have Folders for each Designer Then I have the Kit Folders. That way when I do a challenge from a Designer or Remember a Designers kit I used I just jump to their Folder.

By the way when I am building a LO I go to the terms of use file in the Kit Folder & double click that opens it in note pad and there I can copy & padst there info right to the File Info in the file I am working on. In PSE6 (done It in PSE4) I click on file then file info then paste it in the copyright box then I click OK then I save the whole file and now anytime I open that LO I know exactly who stuff is in it and I can copy & pastre the info when I upload the image to the Gallery.

Hope This Helps ;)

Diana

sharpli

09-07-2008, 01:35 PM

I use the file info box in Elements, too and it really works well for me. Find it under File>File Info.

I'll also copy that info and print it onto the back of my layout, That way, even if I don't want to load the original layout page into PS. I can go find the kit I worked from. I note the date it was downloaded, too. At the end of each month, I back up this month's downloads to a DVD.

I organize my downloads by month (2008 - 9) on my EHD so if I want the background from a particular kit, I can look in either of those places and know that it's by Candee, name of kit, SAS, 9-08.

For my favorite or CT designers, I also keep a duplicate file under their name.

I also keep a file labeled "good elements to save" so that if I need something simple like a staple or button, I can find it there.

I tried using an organizer but I've been downloading goodies ever since the scrapping sites appeared several years ago. I have about 500 GB of "Scrapbook Ingredients" on my 1 T EHD. I'd love to have it all in the Organizer but I think it would probably take absolutely forever for it to load and use it - as well as take forever to tag. I'd rather be doing layouts!:)

jenn33199

09-07-2008, 01:51 PM

It's a free program by Google. I've set up albums called things like "printed ribbons" "dots" etc. and then each element of each kit that I download gets tagged and put in an album. When I use an element, picasa tells me where the image is as well as the name. Adding the element to my layouts is pretty simple once I've identified which ones I want to use, and as I pull them directly from each designer's kit (picasa labels the elements and papers- it does not actually rearrange the kits) I can see who designed the kit so proper credit can be given.

Joba2

09-07-2008, 10:48 PM

I have a folder for my most favorite sites & subfolders with the designer name where i put their kits.I have a misc. designers folder for occas. kits I get from other sites etc.
So far I have not tagged the kits ( well i did a few).I know this would make scrapping so much easier but somehow I never find the time.

Amberpony

09-08-2008, 12:09 AM

A Thought about Organizing Software.
It has been my experience that when you upgrade your software sometimes those Proprietary files no longer work. I have wasted a lot of time organzing only to loss it all when I had to upgrade my software because I got a new Operating Software. Matter of Fact I lost a years worth of daily scanning of pictures because Corel decided that there .CPT file is easy for hackers to get into your computer. Now I have to find an old computer to resave the files as .TIFF
I also have to re save a whole bunch of stories because I had used the Creative Memories Program to organize my pictures and keep track of my stories the 4 years of living part time on the road.

I too would rather be Scrapbooking. So now I save all my stories in MS Word & Keep all my stuff in regular computer folders because they have always transfered. Even when the HD Died my son was able to save my pictures. I have never had a craft program that would not save as .jpg or .tiff So those are my files of choice.

Look Back & see how many programs you have tried or been told this is the hottest thing out there for scrapbooking you gotta have it.

I started scanning in my pictures with windows 95 when it was new.

Diana

Christi

09-08-2008, 10:03 AM

Thank you all so much for your help!

sharpli

09-08-2008, 10:42 AM

I agree wholeheartedly with Diana about the proprietary programs. I like the Disney Print Collection programs because they have nice big Disney charagters to use (unlike the mini ones I can find online). However, the files are saved in their own format. I think there's a .jpg option there, too, but it doesn't work real well - real loss of quality when reopened. And, oh yes, you can't copy and paste the Disney images to another program :(. The good old mouse protects its copyrights!

My solution is to print the page and then scan it and save in a format I know (well, hope) will be around in years - like psd (adobe), jpg and tiff or bmp. They've all been used since I really got into photos in 94-95 so I assume they will endure.

Even Microsoft did this with their Picture It programs in 2000-01. And now that they've discontinued DIP. it might be impossible to open those files in a few years.

Any other suggestions for getting a layout from the proprietary programs into mainline formats?

kimberkatt

09-19-2008, 12:49 PM

Sorry Linda! I don't have any idea about the other programs or even how they work! I've been using PSE since 2004, and really nothing else! I did download the PSP free trial, but I never used it and wasted my trial time! :rolleyes: I learned on PSE, so I tend to stick with what I know! :)

As far as organizing, I think I finally have a system that works for me! I have one General Scrapbooking folder. Within that folder are subfolders with the names of the sites I download from (either stores or blogs). Within those subfolders, I have more subfolders, with the names of the designers for each site. Within those folders, I have folders with the kit names for that particular designer. Of course, the blog folders won't have the individual designer folder (because there's usually just one!), just the kit name folders. It gets kind of tricky with the designers that sell at multiple sites! Usually, in that case, I will have a folder for that particular designer, and subfolders within for each store I got the goodie at! It makes it a lot easier when uploading layouts and knowing where you can link and where you can't!

Example: I'm looking for a kit made by Mamrotka for the Clutter It Challenge

--I'd go to my General Scrapbooking folder
--I'd find Stone Accents Studio within the Scrapbooking folder
--I'd find Mamrotka within the SAS folder
--Then, I'd have a list of all the kits/freebies I have by Mamrotka to choose from!

It makes it quite easy to mix -n- match elements & papers from different kits this way!

Lori11941

09-19-2008, 08:05 PM

I use a great free program (I'm big on those free programs, lol) called File Amigo by Sierra. I used it to create a database that contains the kit name, the creators, and what DVD number I have it stored on. I also have fields to list the kit colors, the theme and keywords. When I'm looking for a Halloween kit, for example, I do a fast find on Halloween and it brings up each kit, including the previews, that meet the criteria.

Amberpony

09-20-2008, 02:57 AM

KimberKatt

Interesting solution for Designers with Multiple Web Sites. Never thought about their exclusive to just this site or that.

Quote
"It gets kind of tricky with the designers that sell at multiple sites! Usually, in that case, I will have a folder for that particular designer, and subfolders within for each store I got the goodie at! It makes it a lot easier when uploading layouts and knowing where you can link and where you can't!"

kimberkatt

09-20-2008, 09:00 AM

I use a great free program (I'm big on those free programs, lol) called File Amigo by Sierra. I used it to create a database that contains the kit name, the creators, and what DVD number I have it stored on. I also have fields to list the kit colors, the theme and keywords. When I'm looking for a Halloween kit, for example, I do a fast find on Halloween and it brings up each kit, including the previews, that meet the criteria.

OMG! Lori, you better start coughin' up some of those other free programs you're using! LOL! It shows PREVIEWS too?!! :eek: This sounds like a fantastic program... I started to make myself a spreadsheet, with all of the basic info, but I never did finish it! I never go back to my DVD's now because I have no idea what's on which one and it's very time consuming to go through them all! So, my DH bought me a 300G external... it's great because all the files are accessible in one spot... but I still back everything up onto DVD's because my previous external died & I lost tons of scrapbooking supplies & PSD files of my layouts! Luckily, I had already burned all of the High Res JPEG files to a DVD about a week before the sucker died on me! But, I really would have liked to have those PSD's to go back and change little things I didn't know when I first started scrapping!

And free programs are the best!! :D Do you guys know about Giveaway of The Day?! (http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/win-log-assist-21/) It's a site that releases programs for free for 24 hours! Every day there is a new download... Most of the programs I have no use for, but I've gotten some pretty cool programs from them! The only stipulation is that you have to download & install within the 24 hours to get the free full version of the program.

Lori11941

09-20-2008, 12:01 PM

Giveaway a Day?! I had no idea, but I'm adding it to my favorites right now.

Kim, I'll get you (and anyone else who's interested) some screen shots of how I set up my File Amigo database. One of the fields you can hold images. It shows up as a thumbnail when you do the search, but if you double click it'll bring up the file sized image.

kimberkatt

09-22-2008, 01:20 PM

Cool!! :cool:

I downloaded the program, but I haven't had time to play with it yet... sounds like just what I needed though! Thanks again Lori! :D

Giveaway of the Day I found by accident while browsing the web... I got 2 or 3 good programs from them already and I've only been visiting for about 2 months now... a lot of the programs are "above" my head... I have no idea what they are used for! LOL! But, I did get a really cool DVD converter to convert my DVD's to ipod files. And the Wondershare Flash Slideshow Builder is another cool program I got from them! And a program that's called Better JPEG, which is supposed to help with compression of JPEG files... if I ever figure out WHY I need it, I'll let you know! hehehe.... :p